Endings Of Jugdral
by utdfan22
Summary: This is a collection of one-shots that center around the ending events of Seisen No Keifu. Just expanding on the endings when the character's previous conversations seemed to be heading in a different direction. For example why Phee and Arthur decide to go to Velthomer together despite agreeing to live in Silesia after the war. Suggestions and constructive criticism welcome.
1. Phee and Arthur

**Author's Note: This might be the first in series if it seems people like the format. Basically I fill in the details of a couple of characters' endings to bridge the gaps that appear in the game i.e. why do Arthur and Phee agree to go to Silesia after the war… even though that's impossible given the fact that Arthur automatically inherits Freege if his Father doesn't overwrite it. Works a little better if he's inheriting Velthomer… I mean with that baggage, anyone would seriously consider bailing on their duties.**

Phee sighed mournfully for what felt like the hundredth time that day, her irritated pacing only enhancing the effect. It was only a scant week after they'd triumphed over Yurius and the Grandbellian Empire… and yet the delirious high that followed had already tapered off into a distant sense of satisfaction… a memory.

Reality had set back in and the Liberation Army had already begun preparations to dissolve and send its members back to their homesteads. The family was splintering and it was only just dawning on Phee what that really meant.

It was a mixed blessing to say the least.

The fighting and death that had followed them since Celice had first taken up arms in Issac was finally over. Phee no longer had to sleep with a lance under her bed, worrying an army would break into their occupied castle and try to murder them in their sleep. That was a plus.

She still had the lance under her bed, of course, but it was more a comfort now than a necessity. Kind of like Arthur during the rare nights he'd shared her bed in the past few months.

And now that was probably done as well, even after Arthur had promised to take her back to Silesia with him too!

She couldn't get mad at him either… not for lack of trying, mind you. No, it was his attitude when he'd confessed he was going to Velthomer that had taken that particular wind out of her wings.

He'd looked so pitiful, his normally proud demeanour cracking as his shoulders sagged and his eyes grew slightly glossy. Even her insults (playful at first, then more genuinely enraged) only drew a weak nod instead of his usual rebuttal.

She knew he had his duties as a noble (most princesses would) but he'd always spoken of going back to Silesia, even after they'd… been intimate, he said Silesia was his home.

Had he been lying to her? He wasn't proud of his heritage and maybe he'd assumed people would think less of him for caring about his ancestral homeland.

Phee shook her head at the notion, Arthur was many things but he was not a liar. He was blunt to a fault as everyone who'd spoken to him for more than ten minutes would agree. And he sure as hell didn't care what others thought of him (well, his sister but that was beside the point).

She trusted him enough to believe he wanted to go back to Silesia with her when he said so, and that faith hadn't been shaken by his depression.

Pulling at her emerald hair, Phee gave one last frustrated groan before collapsing into her bed.

Couldn't that stupid Wind Mage have at least hinted at this, that they were going to be a long distance relationship at best? The alternative didn't bear thinking about tonight; she was bothered enough as it was without throwing wood on the fire.

She absently wondered where her brother was for a moment before realising that Teeny would be in Freege after the war. Sety was smart enough to spend the last night with her rather than moping in his room… that didn't sound too bad right now actually.

Grinning slightly, Phee slipped into her boots and made for the door. Sety always was good for advice, whether he knew it was given or not.

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She didn't have to look for very long; Arthur's hushed voice slipping through the slightly ajar door to the room he was sharing with Teeny (a luxury of Barhara's size).

Phee's ears twitched attentively as she tried to make out words but found the effort fruitless. All she could hear was a vague mumbling, even when she pressed her ear against the side of a door.

She normally wasn't one to eavesdrop but Arthur had spent the entire day in a daze and Phee could think of only one other person he might have decided to talk with. She was hoping Teeny was talking some sense into him… or at least getting Phee a starting point.

"… think about it?" the last few words finally came through and a set of footsteps approached the door, leaving Phee barely a second to stand back up and smooth out her skirts.

"Of course I will." Teeny said in her soft voice as she opened the door, jumping slightly at the sight of Phee "When did you get here?"

"Just a second ago, should I come back later?" the Pegasus Knight's tone was one of innocent curiosity.

"_It can't be eavesdropping if I didn't actually hear anything."_ She thought to herself and suppressed a light snicker.

Teeny blinked confusedly before the light went off in her eyes, a strangely impish smile cutting across her face "Of course not. In fact I was just leaving, so nobody else is going to be around."

To anyone else, the innocent girl's expression would have been comical but all Phee felt was a sense of sisterly pride. Teeny had grown up so much under her tutelage, much to her brother's chagrin. Speaking of the devil… Phee returned the mischievous smirk before slipping past Teeny and gently shutting the door behind her, taking a moment to lock it before facing her crushed beau.

He stared up at her uncertainly, like he couldn't decide whether or not he wanted her there. Heim, he wasn't going to make this easy. Then again, he always made things harder than they had to be.

"I didn't expect to see you tonight." he began awkwardly, his arms stiffly at his side as his lavender irises purposefully avoided her emerald ones.

Placing her hands on her hips and resisting the dual temptations of slapping or hugging him, she responded curtly "Did you want to?"

"It's going to make tomorrow a lot harder." he half mumbled, turning his head to evade her gaze as she took a step towards him. "But… I suppose I did."

Catching the last few mumbled words softened her considerably, causing her to lay her smaller hand upon his and quirk her lips sweetly.

"Tomorrow's already going to be hard… let's just enjoy tonight?" Phee knew she was dancing around the topic but that was what worked best with Arthur; even in his current state his bowstring would be frustratingly taut "Please."

Sighing in defeat, Arthur fell back onto his bed, patting the mattress invitingly despite his sullen expression.

From her new perch she could see that the room was fairly well furnished… the sheets reminding her of the heavy blankets foreigners often needed during the Silesian winter.

Other than a few scattered magical tomes the room didn't really have any imprints of the Tordo siblings or anything that might have started a conversation. As a result the tension in the room was thickening like ice in a snowstorm.

"Teeny's thinking of abdicating Freege." Arthur blurted out, his free hand playing with her green locks as he lay backwards.

"Really? That's not what she told me... or Sety."

While she wasn't bitter at Teeny (and doubted she was physically capable of being so), Phee had no desire to see her brother led on and the veiled anger in her voice actually drew a groan from Arthur.

"She only found out today."

"Found out?" a thin eyebrow cocked quizzically at the bizarre statement, prompting Arthur to continue.

"Once Velthomer is settled with its new duke, Freege could be incorporated into my jurisdiction. It would remain its own state and it would be run by the oldest living descendent of Tordo's line." Arthur actually smiled lightly at the thought "Teeny would be free to go wherever she wanted before the year's end. No lingering sense of duty to a place with so many bad memories."

Phee almost kept quiet at the peaceful look on his face but eventually her curiosity won out "And what about you?"

His eyes hardened at the question, the hand tangled in her green locks falling lazily to his stomach as he shrugged "I'll be where I need to be."

"Hmm."

"What?" Arthur questioned tiredly, exasperation tinting his voice.

"You keep surprising me is all."

"Is that good?" he asked hesitantly, his ego having severely deflated before he opened his mouth.

Phee put a finger to her chin, affecting a poise of mock thought until his irritated glare bore into the back of her head and she relented with a Cheshire-Cat like smile "Sometimes."

Leaning over him, she watched his grumpy disposition melt away to something decidedly more… adult.

Planting a soft kiss to his lips, she whispered in his ear "Maybe a bit more often than sometimes."

Her thoughts that had been swirling angrily earlier came to finally rest on a new idea of what tomorrow would hold. She smiled into their lip lock as one of his hands deftly began undoing one of her dresses' strings.

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The next day, the day they finally left was the first time Phee had been in the throne room of Barhara since the army had first overrun it in victorious jubilation. It bore little resemblance to the room Yurius and Yuria had torn apart, the debris and dust that had been scattered liberally about the massive space was now completely cleared away.

Now it was as splendid as any royal dwelling Phee had had the privilege of experiencing, gold and red banners flowing from around Celice's regal throne and the various stain-glass windows that had miraculously survived the royal twins' spat.

Breathing in deeply, Phee tried to calm her nerves at the realisation of how important this event was… if she made a fool of herself here, there would probably be bards writing songs at her expense for years.

Sensing her distress, Sety placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, giving a gentle squeeze while smiling reassuringly. Giving her that unique smile that could cool even the hottest flushes of emotion she felt. She was suddenly grateful he'd approved of her plan in the morning… the last thing she wanted to do was make what should have been a happy day any harder than it already was for him.

Her fidgeting settled and she turned her attention towards the carpeted steps just before the Emperor's stylish throne.

Everyone was making their speech to the now Emperor Celice, speaking of lofty hopes and the duties of their bloodlines.

Arthur was noticeably twitchy, every few seconds he was pulling at his black top, adjusting it and readjusting it into a wrinkled mess. If his hair hadn't been silver to begin with… Phee was sure it would have been by the end of the ceremony, the man was a nervous wreck.

But that seemed to fade away as he stepped forward, his back straightening as he stared up at Celice with a vow to make Velthomer's Emblem of Flame a mark of justice once more.

The swell of pride she felt for him carried her from the throng of people as he stepped back from Sir Celice to make his lonely exit.

"Arthur, I'll be going to Velthomer too." she was sure to be quiet enough so that only he could hear her, suddenly feeling very conscious of the multitude of eyes trained on her curiously.

"Phee…?" he blinked rapidly to see if she'd disappear, a soft but honest smile appearing when it was clear she was really doing this.

That gave her confidence a much needed shot in the arm and her lips made an honest effort to tear through her cheeks in joy.

"Mmmm, I'm so not going to let you go alone! Everything will be a piece of cake as long as we're together!" Phee exclaimed exuberantly as her arm wrapped around his and the two made their way out of the beautiful court, together.

She caught Sety's eye (the green one in particular) as they left, his bright smile matching her own as he subtly nodded at the pair with a wink. Teeny poked her head from behind (or, more accurately, beside) the Silesian Prince's cloaks and gave a slight grin of her own, an unspoken gratitude in her cute lavender eyes.

Arthur's stunned silence lasted until a cold breeze caught them at the castle's threshold, the sudden jolt finally waking him enough for him to lean into her ear and whisper sincerely "Thank you."

**Word Count: 2060 Total.**

**Author's Note: Well, what do you think? Is the series worth continuing? Did I pick a bad set of characters to start with? Should I have left out the ending which occurs largely in-game (my embellishments not withstanding)? Would you have preferred I focused on something more secondary, like Skashar and Johan revelling in the bars before their duties overtake them? Just leave suggestions in the review or as a PM.**


	2. Hannibal

**Author's Note: This chapter was suggested by (and dedicated to) Gunlord500 who felt armoured units deserved more love in FE4. Given the map sizes and their "waddling" range in those games, I agree. So, Gunlord500, here it is and enjoy. **

The stench of ale consumed the air and the torch light bathed the room in a warm orange glow as the large tavern's multitude of guests cheered, gossiped and drank themselves into a satisfied stupor.Their raucous celebrations spilled into the street as they danced and made merry in a decidedly ungraceful manner.

At least the younger patrons were lost in the enthusiastic celebrations. If one had looked towards the room's edge then they would have seen that two noticeably older patrons were more stone-faced as they nursed a pair of large ales.

Hannibal stroked his beard thoughtfully, his large hands surprisingly steady despite the several empty mugs in front of him "So, you still think Thracia could use my help, Fin. Despite the fact that soon there might not be a Kingdom of Thracia if your Prince Leaf has any say in the matter." the normally armoured warrior was blunt but not accusatory, a hint of bewilderment evident in his brown eyes.

The Duke Knight at his side smiled politely (although it did not reach his eyes) and responded calmly "You are much beloved by the people there and, alongside Altenna, you could make the Thracian unification bloodless if you were to declare support for it."

"And if I refused?" Hannibal raised an eyebrow while his hand fell from his chin to a handle, downing the entirety of the old mug's contents in a rare show of bravado.

"That would be your choice but…" Fin's azure orbs dulled considerably as they became transfixed on the dark liquid beneath "I don't think any of us need any more conflict. Our generation has seen enough of war to last throughout even our grandchildrens' lives."

Sighing, the Shield of Thracia nodded and agreed, his patriotism muddied somewhat by Jugdral's recent ordeal.

"I am sorry for my reluctance but you must understand that Thracia is my home. I would sooner die than betray her now that she can finally rebuild." pointedly meeting Fin's gaze, he added "You, of all people, should know that feeling, Knight of Lenster."

Fin's grip tightened subconsciously and his fake smile gave way to a tired blank "I do know the feeling, and that is why I am not asking you to do that."

At Hannibal's disbelieving glance, Fin gave a small grin "Instead of conquering Thracia and the surrounding nations, we wish to unite its people. Right now Leaf and Altenna are the rightful inheritors of both Lenster and Thracia; our neighbours are also without leadership." Fin's lips quirked downwards as a determined glint flashed in his blue orbs "The internal conflict on the peninsula must end before it creates more tragedy. Our old world is dying and it is our duty to ensure a better one takes its place. You, of all people, should know that, Knight of Thracia."

The ironic echo was not lost on Hannibal who narrowed his gaze at the sullen Knight before him, an unspoken battle of wills taking place between the two.

Surprisingly, to none more so than Hannibal himself, it was Hannibal who caved first "I suppose you have a point… and if Princess Altenna believes in this cause, there must be something to it. She always was a very clever girl."

Fin's smile finally met his eyes as he softly agreed "Indeed."

Staring down at his drink, Fin gulped the last of its contents like a prisoner's last meal before making to stand up "I'll be leaving now, I suppose. Without Nanna or Altenna to take the liquor from me, I'd probably drink myself into a coma. Better to leave before that."

"Take care." Hannibal called out as Fin managed to walk himself out the door, and past their dancing comrades, without so much as stumbling, leading Hannibal to mutter sympathetically "He needs to lay off the drink. He's too accustomed to it."

"Who is?" a chipper voice emanated from Hannibal's left, drawing his attention to a young boy with dirty blonde hair.

"Corpul, my boy, pull up a seat." Hannibal said with a wide grin, paternal pride overtaking him at the sight of him "You should be proud, boy. You're one of the heroes of the land and a damned fine healer at such a young age. I was nearly three times older when I first gained notoriety as a soldier."

"Thank you, Father." Corpul blushed faintly at the praise, his hand absently rubbing the back of his head in slight embarrassment.

Hannibal signalled one of the women running about to keep the tables stocked with drink to bring him two more pints before turning back to his adopted son.

"So, what's next for you?" the general's eyes twinkled slightly when he added, nodding towards a twirling Leen as he did so, "Perhaps chasing a dancer across the continent?"

Corpul's cheeks could have fried an egg as he began vehemently shaking his head and stuttering out denials "No, she's more like a sister to me than a… eh, um…"

Hannibal couldn't surpass a good humoured chuckle at the sight "I know, I know but I'm getting on in years and I figure it's about time you found a nice girl. Someone to look after you when I'm gone."

"Why? You're still healthy and with my magic-"

"I'm not talking about death." Hannibal interrupted, his voice firm but kind as his hand fell onto its comfortable place on his only son's shoulder "Our paths will soon part and I need to know you're ready to face the world to put my mind at ease."

"Father…" Corpul began before trailing off into silence, guiltily rubbing his upper arm "How long have you known?"

"I overheard your talk with Sir Celice." at this Hannibal shrugged nonchalantly "I am admittedly curious why you haven't told me yet, yourself."

Corpul raised his eyes to scan the older Thracian, sighing tiredly when he saw his father's understanding brown irises "I could never find the right time… you were always so proud of Thracia that I thought you might be disappointed when you found out I was going to Edda." bowing his head in shame, Corpul choked out "I'm sorry for deceiving you!"

The old general patted his son's back sympathetically, drawing a confused stare from the young boy as his father grinned down at him happily.

"There is no need to apologise. We both knew that one day; you would leave me and make a name for yourself elsewhere. Edda will be lucky to have you as its duke." Hannibal's comforting words caused a cautious smile to cross Corpul's lips, his hand reaching for the ale subtly left by the tavern wench.

"You really want to try that again?" Hannibal asked, feigning astonishment as Corpul froze in place "I mean, after the incident with Princess Altenna and the wine… I thought you might be turned off alcohol altogether. I'm glad to see you are not so easily scarred."

"Ehhhh" Corpul hesitated before dropping his mug back to the table "I'm not actually all that thirsty right now. I'll wait a little while."

"Fair enough." Hannibal said before hiding his grin in a gulp of ale.

"_Eh, it's a filthy habit… probably better he doesn't pick it up until he's a little older."_

Hannibal's ears twitched as a slight jangling sound approached them, a slender pair of hands landing softly on their table with a final clink of jewellery.

Leen's easy grin drew a nod from Hannibal as Corpul gripped the hem of his pants nervously.

"I hate to interrupt but the celebrations are getting going and Corpul's just been sitting around. A boy his age should be out dancing with the rest of us." she gently pinched his cheek, causing his blush to worsen as she turned back to his father "Mind if I borrow him for a little bit?"

Hannibal laughed aloud at her audacity; the female dancer was certainly a lively one. Seeing the two together, he was really starting to see the big sister thing… able to embarrass him with just a few well placed words. Reminded him of his own older sister back when he'd been a younger man, just a common peasant in a Thracian village.

How long ago had that been? He genuinely couldn't remember when he'd last seen her or even received a letter. His reverie was brief as he took in the Edda descendants' expressions.

Seeing the anticipation on Leen's face and the veiled excitement (beneath a layer of guilt) on Corpul's, he had no choice but to acquiesce with a sigh.

"Of course, it'll be good for him." Hannibal said with his usual confident smile.

Corpul's teeth flashed happily as he was willingly dragged into the gaggle of celebrating youths, his blush softening as he was thrown into the centre of the frenzy… screaming and shouting joyously with the rest of them while old men gathered dust in the corner.

Cracking his neck with a small twitch brought a light throbbing as the stiffness he'd felt after the war's battles overtook his tired form. Time was catching up to him more and more every day. He should have been worried and yet…

Whenever he looked at the scene in front of him, Hannibal felt a strange sense of calm… a feeling that everything was right with the world overtaking him.

These were the inheritors of their world; his generation had effectively been wiped away by the conflicts they'd engineered for themselves. Perhaps it was time for a fresh perspective on life.

His eyes wandered to Corpul's untouched drink still sitting on the table while its owner was thrown into the air by Aless, Leen and Johan (Lakche looking on with a shaking head while giggling uncontrollably) and at their side Prince Leaf and Princess Altenna chatted happily like a beacon of unity for the long suffering Thracian Peninsula.

In the back of his mind, Hannibal noticed that Corpul seemed to have forgotten the poor ale, so Hannibal took it upon himself to swap his own empty mug for the full one.

Raising the old, slightly chipped mug in a salute to the multinational group before him, Hannibal muttered with a determined grin "To your futures… and the hope you won't make as much of a mess of it we did."

Throwing back the entirety of the drink in a single gulp, Hannibal sighed contentedly before heading for the door. Stopping to steal a glance at Corpul, Hannibal felt a proud paternal quirk at his lips. Deciding there would be time to talk later, Hannibal figured it would be as good a time as any to find Fin and see what exactly his place would be in this peaceful "Unified Thracia".

He was honestly starting to like the sound of it.

**There you have it. Hopefully didn't mangle Hannibal's character too badly and it flowed decently enough (unlike some of my earlier attempts).**

**Originally was going to focus on Corpul and Hannibal's interaction but Hannibal is neither gullible nor possessive enough (in my mind, anyway) to let that little conflict play out, so things changed. **

**Also should note that Leen and Corpul canonically never learn that they're siblings despite Corpul overtaking Edda if Claude is his father. Best excuse I've got is that Corpul's parentage was discovered when Shanan, Levin or Oifaye noticed that he was carrying the Valkyrie Staff. Since Leen has no corresponding tell, we get something of a reason (read: excuse) there for the ignorance.**

**That hopefully clears up any confusion with why Corpul considers Leen like a sister rather than as an actual sister in this. **

**Also the incestuous siblings thing is not meant to be a thing here but when a slightly older girl teases you and you don't know of any blood ties, people might see something more… romantic there.**


	3. Johan and Lakche

**Author's Note: Here's Johan's ending, with as much depth as I can give him. He may be a goof and a clown but he's also incredibly strong, brave and seems compassionate enough. Considering the final chapter killed his older brother (last surviving family member) and, in my game, it was Johan and Lakche who finally put Burian down, he must have had some issue with that. So, I thought I'd play the idea out.**

The victory at Barhara had been met with raucous applaud and ridiculous celebrations, even the most sober men cheering and dancing like idiots across the streets.

Naturally, the Liberation Army was at the heart of these celebrations... everyone from Arthur to Patty to Skasaher was either drinking, bouncing giddily or tightly embraced in the arms of a loved one as the sun finally began to set.

And yet, Lakche couldn't find the one person she had been sure would be soaking up the attention and chance to brag endlessly of exaggerated accomplishments had chosen to sit on the parapets of Castle Barhara with barely a word. Loathe as she was to admit it, Lakche was worrying about him… and she was irritated that the feeling had sprung up so easily in her.

It was so stupid, she knew almost nothing could shake Johan… he was every bit as confident and self-assured as he claimed. Hell, he'd dusted himself off after his family members' deaths in Issac with barely a hint of mourning. The Axe Knight was immune to misery, as his often irritatingly bright grins and endless awful poetry could attest.

She had better things to do, selfish as it sounded, after saving the entire continent than wander about the empty upper floors of a castle in search of her obnoxious axe-wielding boyfriend.

The one night she might actually appreciate some of his endless flattery… the one time she'd definitively earned it and could earnestly enjoy his fawning, and he'd chosen now to give her some space. She would honestly never understand what went through his mind.

Her unhappy musings had carried her further than she realised as she caught sight of a large, muscular man sitting on the edge of the castle wall, staring off silently into the sun with his long legs stretched across the gap between raised sections.

The blank expression he offered did little to comfort Lakche's unease as she approached him carefully.

Crossing her arms, Lakche took a moment to take in his appearance… his loud mouth making it difficult to focus on anything else long enough to appreciate it normally.

He wasn't too bad; really, he was well built and had a decent sense of fashion, his clothes being just tight enough to reveal his physique without restricting movement. His neatly combed mop of brown hair fell just above his eyes to frame the warm brown pools pleasantly and give them a striking quality that most could turn most women's legs to jelly.

Honestly, if he'd just been a little quieter, they probably would have ended up together before the war. But then again, he wouldn't have been her Johan if he didn't throw himself completely into everything he did… even clichéd romance.

"Hey, why are you lounging around up here?!" she shouted, her voice lacking any irritation as a smirk crossed her face, "Shouldn't you be down there, bragging about those three Dragon Knights you dragged out of the air back in Thracia?"

Johan turned to glance at her, a smile crossing his face as his eyes burned dimly, like a torch viewed through heavy fog. He opened his mouth to say something but it soon fell closed again as he turned back to the sunset, words failing him for the first time either teenager could remember.

"The view here… it's nice." he said lamely after a few moments of awkward silence, his normal poetic license with language seemingly revoked by his sullen attitude.

"Just nice?" Lakche asked uncertainly, one eyebrow rising curiously.

"Em… I meant to say that its brightness really… brightens things. And that's nice to look at… sometimes."

Even Johan looked mildly ashamed at his pitiful effort, one of his hands running through his hair haphazardly, destroying its neat perfection as several strands popped up or bent backwards in a tangled mess as the offending hand's motions became more frantic.

His long fingers curled inwards to scrape his trimmed nails against his skull, all while his smile began to shake and falter to a depressed frown.

His (admittedly weak) self-mutilation probably would have lasted for quite a while if a pair of slim, calloused hands hadn't reached out to forcefully grip his wrist and wrest it away, Lakche yelling "What the hell are you doing, you idiot?! You're gonna hurt yourself doing something so stupid!"

Johan chuckled humourlessly, his fingers twisting as best they could to softly stroke Lakche's own.

"Indeed, you're right yet again. I don't know what came over me, perhaps a brief bout of fever?"

"Cut the crap." she responded firmly, pulling his legs aside so that she could plop down next to him "Something's bothering you and, when we got together, I kind of started worrying about you a bit more. So, make with the explanation before you start pissing me off."

Despite her choice of words, her dark eyes wavered slightly and a clear nervous worry had settled in. The sight was so adorable to the Dozel heir that he actually started laughing while his arms reached forward to wrap around Lakche's lithe form, her frown deepening as a warm blush tinted her cheeks.

"Wh-wha-what are you doing?" she said tensely, inwardly cursing the subdued, stuttering voice that escaped her throat, "Don't laugh at me, I'm being serious." she mumbled into his chest half-heartedly as his pleasant scent bore down upon her the same way it had the first time they'd embraced on the outskirts of the Yied Desert.

"You are both the epitome of womanly beauty and the very spirit of a child's adorableness, so flawless in both regards." Johan exclaimed, some of his usual fervour entering the sincere smile he offered her, "To think one so perfect is mine, even after my shameful performance in Grandbell is beyond the words and comprehension of mortal men."

"What?" Lakche responded, dazed by the sudden rush as her mind replayed everything he said over the next few moments, "Wait… how was your performance in Grandbell shameful?"

At this, he dramatically brought his arm over his forehead to cover his eyes, his voice going up an octave to accentuate the performance "Ah, my dear lady you are too kind. It is little wonder I fell for you so quickly… such unlimited kindness must be radiating all around you so that even strangers may appreciate its-"

"My question. Answer it. Now." Lakche interrupted with a glare, arms crossing over her chest as Johan rubbed the back of his head awkwardly.

"Ah, certainly. It was not my intent to distract you or evade your question, but sometimes I get a little carried away and the-"

"Johan!"

"Sorry, was about to go off on another rant there" Johan laughed happily, Lakche's annoyance noticeably (and involuntarily) melting at the sight.

Finally ceasing his mirth, his shoulders sagged as a sad smile tugged at his lips "I'm not avoiding this, am I?" at the shake of Lakche's head, he sighed before continuing "It started with Johalva."

"But he died in Issac." Lakche's eyes narrowed as a hand unconsciously went to his forehead; retreating when she was satisfied he wasn't actually running a fever.

Johan chose to ignore the show of affection and answered in an unsuitably (in Lakche's eyes) solemn voice "Yes, after he'd bested me in combat and, beyond dispute, proved himself the stronger brother, Sir Celice did run him through with a sword in Issac."

Frowning at his defeated statement, Lakche remained silent as the doubts continued to pour from his mouth, "I shook off the experience, buried the doubt, mourning and guilt beneath the sands of war and the unshakable knowledge that true justice oft demands a sacrifice."

"I was doing a fine job of it too… until Burian and I faced off here in Grandbell. My older brother, both the Master Knight and a chance to avenge my losses and prove the Johalva incident a misplaced whim of fate." squeezing Lakche tightly against him with one arm, he continued "I could either save him, the preferable option for reasons obvious to even the simplest knave, or I could best him and show that I was worthy of the family name and that my survival over theirs was not a complete waste of the family line's boundless potential. As the record shall show, it was not my destiny to accomplish either task."

Lakche flinched subtly at this, her memories flying back to her own encounter with Danan's eldest.

Johan had attempted to match strength with Burian's holy weapon, the Hero Axe glistening against the sun as it met an instrument of the Gods in their brotherly clash.

Johan had made two quick slashes, managing to slice a deep gash in his brother's left arm before the Swanchika had found his stomach. Lakche's blood had frozen as Johan convulsed violently, bloodied vomit pouring from his mouth as he fell from his steed in the foetal position. She'd barely registered the crimson pool forming about his body before her own Hero weapon was in her hands and cutting through Burian, the Shooting Star sensation overtaking her and leaving the Master Knight no time to even raise his axe to block.

If Rana hadn't been around… Johan would not have survived his injuries. He would have died right there, embraced in Lakche's arms, her desperately shouting for help while he muttered weak declarations of dying love.

She had thought his nonchalance after the event meant the encounter had had no effect on him, and yet here they were.

"When did you figure out how to do humility?" Lakche remarked, her own slender arm slinking around his waist with the same reassuring light pressure, "You always said you were the greatest axe-wielder on the continent. Hell, I can think of a few times you said 'best in the world'."

"I admit that I may have stretched the truth slightly in that regard, intending to rectify it to honesty with my diligence and unconquerable spirit." Johan laid his head lazily atop his girlfriend's, soaking in the comforting feeling before asking "Have I failed them?"

"Huh?"

"Perhaps this feeling is some divine punishment for betraying my blood and failing to meet their standards… likely the mood will pass with the cycle of the moon." Johan actually chuckled at this, "I'm turning into a lunatic."

"I always thought you were crazy." Lakche answered somewhat sarcastically, her grin proving contagious as Johan beamed down at her while failing to look hurt by her comment.

"Milady, I am offended. To think you were capable of such cruelty… unthinkable!" he punctuated the dramatic cry by placing one hand over his heart and feigning a nervous swoon.

"Now that's more like it." Lakche nodded determinately, but internally she breathed a happy sigh of relief at Johan's return to form, "Now that you're back to normal, we can enjoy the night together."

His eyebrows rose to near the top of his forehead as he gripped her hands in his own; his warm eyes peering into her own lovingly, "I would like nothing more."

"Good. Oh, and about you being a failure." Lakche said slyly, while Johan's joy gave way to curiosity, "Nothing could be further from the truth."

Johan's jaw slackened as Lakche shook her head playfully, "Honestly, you've impressed me over this past year… far more than you should have been able to."

"And what is that supposed to mean?" Johan questioned earnestly, looking more confused than affronted.

"That I'm proud of you… and I think your family would be too if they could see you today. You fought nobly, slayed many enemies and even abdicated the dukedom because you thought it would make things easier for the people there."

"My father tainted our reputation… my inaction in Issac left me ineligible for such an important and respected position as the Duke of Dozel." Johan responded easily, the words rolling from his mouth without a hint of hesitation or regret.

"I used to think you were selfish shallow and mediocre with an axe." seeing the signs of exaggerated pain beginning to take hold on his face, Lakche hit his chest playfully and quickly added "Of course, I don't think that now. Weren't you listening to a word I said? You said you'd prevail and you have. As both a warrior and as a man you cannot be called a failure."

It had been a fairly heartfelt declaration and her own organ was beating uncontrollably afterwards, the urge to ease Johan's mood finally deflating beneath her embarrassment at the loss of her more icy demeanour.

This was aided by Johan's commentary, "That may be the most you've ever said to me."

"And?" Lakche added testily, upset at his lack of enthusiasm for her outburst.

"I think I like it. Although, there is much to be said for your more natural emotional habitat… that paradox of Yied and Silesian weather that exists at the heart of your temperament." Johan pulled her close after this, and whispered in her ear "I love you either way."

Feeling the heat rush to her cheeks, Lakche whispered back tersely "You're getting better at this."

Johan nodded victoriously before pausing to stroke his chin thoughtfully.

"Still, if a critic as harsh as you-" "Hey!" "-can call me a success. Who am I, a simple plebeian by comparison to your inherent wisdom, to disagree?!"

Johan immediately brightened at his (apparently brilliant) deduction, turning to face the door while offering his arm to his waiting lady, "Shall we go, lovely Lakche? The dance and duty of celebration awaits us, and surely we should pay it the highest respects and services."

"Well, that mood didn't last long." Lakche mumbled before gripping his forearm and allowing him to lead her as they walked, "I'm glad you're back to normal… this Johan is weird enough."

"Ah, but with your love by my side, no evil of man or mood could ever lastingly overcome me. Your presence alone can lift my spirits so." Johan answered while managing to ignore most of what she'd actually said.

Still, she didn't really mind.

The night was still young and they had much to be thankful for. Including each other, not that Lakche would freely admit that to anyone but herself and (only very rarely) the man of honour himself in that little arrangement.

And if he ever started doubting himself again… well, she'd definitely be there to do something about it!

**Huh, that turned out pretty different from what I expected. It feels a bit aimless at parts and Johan's bloody rebounds (which seem in-character to me) make a flowing narrative difficult. Still, this does set-up Johan somewhat for "A Son's Confessions", so it's consistent with my previous work if nothing else. Hopefully, Lakche was alright here, tsunderes are difficult for me.**

**P.S. Writing Johan's dialogue is surprisingly difficult when attempting a more subdued scene. I tried to use an overly dramatic way of speaking in these scenes rather than a flowery one (like his conversation with Lakche in the Final Chapter) and I'd like some feedback if anyone has a suggestion. **

**P.P.S. Suggestions are still welcome, and they do matter. Hannibal's character arc would have been an appendage to Corpul's chapter if not for a specific character suggestion, and that would have been a shame considering I rather like that chapter.**


	4. Shanan And Patty

**Author's Note: Patty and Shanan here in a follow-up to "Teasing Lakche", with a couple that gets far too little screen time to be fleshed out properly. So, here's my take on how their relationship might work at the endgame, considering their ultimate separation in some endings. Keep in mind, I'm something of a romantic and the game seems to go the "true love" route to a degree when you consider that standing next to your girlfriend is an incredibly effective method of getting Critical Hits.**

Shanan casually flipped a page in the dusty book, his eyes glued to the text as he lounged in an old chair with red cushions. He leaned back into the soft but deflated surface, his legs splayed out in front of him as he soaked in the calm atmosphere of Barhara Castle's private library.

He had wandered in by chance on the day after the Liberation Army had finally conquered Barhara and had quickly become lost in the variety of tomes lining the shelves and desks in the expansive room.

Shanan had privately marvelled at that, barely an empty space in an area three normal rooms long.

He'd typically been drawn to historical volumes as a child but the longer the war had dragged on, the more Shanan found himself turning to less scholarly literature. Thus, he eventually settled on a worn book of fairy tales lying on a desk and dropped easily into the nearby chair.

He skipped the first story, a tale of a knight and a princess he remembered from his childhood. He'd considered reading it but the tearstains and tiny rips in the pages made him feel like an unwelcome intruder whenever he looked at the once thick black words on the paper.

Instead he began reading of a prince and an ardent admirer, the tale chronicling the growth of their relationship from unwanted affection to friendship.

The girl was nosy to the point of exasperation, constantly bouncing on her feet, petite for her age and shamelessly flirty. The boy was several years her senior, tall, and reserved. They only began to get along through blunt force repetition of the girl's irritating habits until they slowly became endearing.

Eventually, the boy started to see her kindness and began to look forward to the wide grin that always adorned her face. Slowly but surely, he fell for her.

He wondered to himself why that sounded so familiar before a grin cropped across his face at the thought of a certain blonde Thief Fighter.

"What ya looking at?"

Shanan turned to face Patty as normally as he could manage, perfectly masking his fright at her sudden appearance, while thinking to himself _"Speak of a demon and it shall appear."_

He dismissed that thought as stupid as soon as it arose and answered her question without missing a beat.

"Reading. I found an old book of fairy tales." Shanan remarked calmly, eyes dropping back to the book as he patted the page, "Found one I'd never seen before, thought it might be worth a look."

Patty skimmed the page, her arms resting on Shanan's shoulder comfortably as she did so. Shanan tried to enjoy the pleasant weight but Patty gave a sudden start and jabbed the old book with her finger.

"I know this story!" Patty exclaimed exuberantly, her mouth curving upwards as she explained "The old man who ran the orphanage before Faval and me used to tell us this one when I was little."

"You might need to be a bit more specific. I don't think you ever stopped being 'little'" Shanan remarked dryly, barely resisting the powerful urge to smirk when Patty smacked his arm lightly.

"I meant when I was younger, you jerk." she half-muttered with a pout before turning back to the story with a more serious frown, "I never really liked this one, now that I think about it."

Shanan raised an eyebrow, shifting the book slightly to the side to allow Patty to plop down on his lap while she organised her thoughts.

After a moment's thinking, she began speaking slowly and carefully, "It's a pretty happy story most of the way through… I like that part, liked it even when I was too small to really understand it all."

Shanan found himself softly smiling in a mirror of her own grin, her childlike features glowing as she spoke. She looked so young and hopeful that Shanan found himself forgetting that she had helped topple an Empire not a week beforehand.

Then, her expression suddenly became rueful, her gaze falling to her lap, "It all seems so perfect… and then the prince decides she'd be better with someone else. That's how it ends, with them going their separate ways because he's decided she could do better. And she just fakes a smile and goes along with it like it was nothing!"

"It's only a story." Shanan said calmly, his eyes slightly widened from her outburst.

"Sorry. It's just… it seems kind of like a sad ending to the story." Patty said before she shrugged her shoulders with an awkward grin.

"Not all stories end happily. You know that." Shanan explained flatly, quirking an eyebrow questioningly.

"Well, this one kind of hits a little too close to home." Patty said while leaning backwards to rest on Shanan, "It's seems unfair to have to make a choice like the prince's… especially when the last thing you want is for the person you love to be okay with it. It makes you feel horrible inside."

"Painful memories?" Shanan ventured, frowning when he received a shake of her head.

"I wish." she muttered just loudly enough for the Isaacian prince to make out.

"You wish?"

"Nothing, never mind. Forget I said that." Patty said quietly while turning to face into Shanan's shoulder, burying her face in the fabric of his tunic.

Shanan's gaze narrowed angrily for a moment before relaxing, his hand falling to Patty's back and embracing her tightly against his chest as the story book and the unfortunate couple's tale was thrown gently to the nearby table and forgotten about for the moment.

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Shanan fingered the single-sapphire ring in his pocket for what felt like (and probably was, if he was being honest) the hundredth time that day. The ring was partially made of his own braided hair… a very significant lover's token in Isaac.

He wasn't entirely sure what had possessed him to make one for Patty… she wouldn't understand the symbolism of the object. Even if he explained it, the gesture would lose something of its value.

Still, his precious Aunt Ayra had given it to her lover and Shanan's parents had exchanged them long before his birth. It just seemed appropriate to keep the tradition alive, he supposed with a shrug.

He hoped Patty had recovered from her melancholy mood during their stay in the library. He wondered absently what exactly she'd meant when she wished it had been painful memories upsetting her. Probably less than the ring he was about to give her… at least that's what he hoped anyway.

His feet made a uniform beat on the floor, years of carefully practiced footwork to perfect his swordsmanship leaving him incapable of anything less than graceful.

Tap, tap, tap, tap (tip-tip), tap (tip-tip).

The sudden tempo change alerted him to Patty's arrival, her silent run devolving into two strides for each of his own as she fell into step beside him.

"Hey." Patty began in an alarmingly subdued voice, "How are you?"

Shanan frowned as he spun on his heel to face Patty, his hand instinctively covering her forehead "I'm fine. It's you who's acting strange. Hm, you don't seem to be running a fever." Shanan sighed with relief at that before hardening his gaze and crossing his arms, "So, if you're healthy… then what's getting to you?"

"Nothing." Patty lied blatantly, her hands coming up defensively as she shook her head, "I swear, I'm fine, never better. A girl can't just take it easy after winning a war?"

"Most girls could, but not you. We both know that you should be bouncing off the walls celebrating." Shanan looked away sheepishly before adding "I was kind of looking forward to the spectacle, actually."

Patty giggled at his expression but it was forced, the accompanying grin never quite meeting her eyes. Eventually her laughter subsided, Patty's eyes refusing to leave the floor afterwards.

Eventually, she raised her head a fraction of an inch, "I'm the new duchess of Jungby."

"I know. We all kind of figured that out a few months ago." Shanan's posture remained stiff, his tone of voice irritated as he spoke, "Anything else to say?"

At this, Patty's fists balled and her glare intensified while she shouted "Think about it, you royal prick! That means that we're done!"

Neither one of them spoke after that, Patty's head ducking as she rubbed her eyes roughly while Shanan stood stone-faced.

Ultimately, Patty chanced a glance upwards, Shanan spotting the tears still running down her cheeks. Sighing mournfully, Shanan reached forwards and wrapped an arm around her, pulling her close to him for an incredibly tight embrace. The two wrapped their arms around one another and practically dragged themselves together, burying their faces in one another's shoulders.

After relishing the moment, Shanan pulled back just far enough to tilt Patty's head with his fingers and bring their lips together.

Both lovers shut their eyes and revelled in the pleasant feeling of the link, their motions soft and tender as they shared their first kiss.

The moment was over all too soon as Shanan broke the connection, Patty falling forwards slightly as a result before slowly opening her eyes.

The smile on Shanan's face masked his pain well, and he cupped her cheek in his hand, "Then I guess this is goodbye. Thank you for the memories… I, eh, had a lot of fun. I'll never forget what we had here, your nosiness and all."

Turning on his heel as quickly as he could manage, the Isaacian swordsman darted off in the opposite direction before Patty could speak.

As much as he hated doing it, it was easier than facing her… especially with the blue gem of the ring brushing against his chest through the pocket inside his tunic seeming to burn his skin more and more with each passing second.

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The night fell quickly and the private chambers of Isaac remained empty as Skasaher and Lakche had both vanished during the day to attend to their own devices. That had allowed him to strip to his undergarments and slide under the covers without a second glance, perfect for the situation at hand.

He'd heard Sety and Teeny were separating for the same reason as him and Patty. They'd chosen to spend their last few days together as much as was possible, Teeny even moving permanently into Sety's chambers after they'd taken Barhara.

Wonderful as the sentiment was (he was sure), nothing would have been more painful during that moment than being happy with Patty and knowing it was coming to an end.

It was better for both of them to have a clean break, no need to make this any more upsetting for her… or any harder for him as he stared absently at the tiny ring sitting on his drawer, its blue gem glinting azure from the scattered rays of moonlight hitting it through the nearby window.

It was crafted for her fingers, as close as he could manage without literally binding it around the digits in question.

A waste of materials now, Shanan mused as he turned around to face the window and tried to sleep.

The darkness had fallen a few hours previously and now only faint moonlight lit the room. Silence covered the area as only the weak echoes of the still on-going celebrations in town occasionally passed through, the periodic outbursts mere white noise in Shanan's ears.

Eventually he managed to force himself into a shallow slumber, his greatest aid being the dead air that permeated the bedchambers.

His eyes flickered in the unpleasant sleep, his body turning every few seconds as the day's events clouded his dreams.

It was in this state that he heard soft footfalls at his door, the actual structure making no noise as it opened and closed.

His foul mood from earlier reared its head as his eyes snapped open attentively, his body tensing under his covers as he feigned sleep.

His room's new occupant was hesitant, slowly entering and approaching the bed so cautiously that Shanan almost missed the sounds of their feet hitting the floor. Just as the figure came to a halt beside his bed, Shanan spun around and caught their wrist to easily force the intruder underneath his weight, both his hands pushing down on a slim pair of wrists.

His dark eyes bore into familiar pools of blue beneath him and he relaxed, his body sliding backwards as he realised who was beneath him. Unfortunately this caused his legs to part and Patty's knee shot upwards on instinct.

Shanan found himself falling to the side of the bed, clutching at his groin while Patty sat up with her hands covering her mouth in horror.

"Oh, I am so sorry!" Patty began reaching over to grip Shanan's shoulder but he jerked away.

"Why there?" Shanan (much to his later embarrassment) moaned before clenching his teeth to bite back another humiliating sound.

"I panicked." Patty defended herself, her hands up defensively as she tried to justify her actions "When a creepy guy pins you against a bed, a girl has every right to protect herself in the most effective manner possible."

"You broke into my room in the middle of the night and watched me while you thought I was sleeping. How am I the creepy one?" Shanan managed to keep his tone level and dryly unamused, despite the searing pain from Patty's bony limb still coursing through his body.

"I was trying to be romantic!" Patty argued, glaring when Shanan's face went blank at the revelation, "What? I was!"

"Well, who am I to question that?" Shanan muttered sarcastically, pausing when he noticed Patty's face falling in the corner of his eye, "Although, I guess it's the intention that counts."

"That's right." Patty agreed with a bright grin.

Happy to see her smiling again, Shanan just rolled his eyes with a slight scoff before saying "So, what happened to your sour mood?"

Patty fell down on the bed, staring up at the ceiling with her lips quirking dramatically upwards, "I remembered why I used to hate that story so much."

Shanan paused as he tried to remember the story, blinking confusedly when he answered with a questioning "The fairy tale?"

At Patty's nod, Shanan continued "What about it? That I was okay with what happened?"

"In part." Patty admitted before rolling onto her side and laying a hand lazily across Shanan's stomach, "Were you really okay with it?"

Her big doe eyes were a favourite trick of hers to get what she wanted, most men quickly turning to jelly in their depths. Shanan, however, was immune to this little trick and could spot her ulterior motive a mile off every time.

But just this once… he saw none.

"No, I wanted to pin you against the wall and make you take it back with the most passionate kiss I could muster." Shanan remarked in a monotone, smirking inwardly at Patty's noticeable blush before adding more sincerely "Honestly, I was very upset."

"That's all you're going to say? No serious declaration of love?" Patty grilled Shanan intently before easing off when he refused to answer, "Darn. Oh well, it's better than nothing. Besides, the main reason I was angry was that I'd given up."

Her normal, car-like grin appeared, "I hate feeling helpless… so, I stopped."

"You decided not to go to Jungby?" Shanan tilted his head to the side, trying to decipher her meaning even as he spoke.

Patty chuckled, sticking out her tongue before saying cheekily "Nuh-uh."

"You decided to end our relationship happily?"

"Closer, but still no."

"You drank a lot of wine and the problem went away?"

"You're not even trying anymore!"

Shanan sighed at her shouting before yielding, "Fine, I quit. What happened?"

"I decided I'm not letting you let me break up our relationship!" Patty exclaimed.

"Right."

"I'm serious." Patty said as she rolled on top of Shanan, propping herself up with her palms resting on his chest, "You gave up too easily. We'll have to work on that in future."

Shanan reached up with his hand slowly, his eyes never wavering form Patty's. Patty for her part blinked at the sight of his approaching hand, remembering the pleasant and loving touch from earlier.

Flick.

Shanan's finger made contact with Patty's nose as his eyes narrowed, "Don't talk nonsense."

Patty sat up, rubbing her nose as she glared at Shanan below, "I meant every word. And it isn't nonsense. You aren't getting rid of me that easily."

"I'm not the one who wanted to separate." Shanan replied icily, deflating Patty somewhat.

"You don't have to be so cruel about it." Patty answered with drooped ears before perking up again, "Besides, I think we'd be happier together for some of the time rather than apart all of the time. A clean break or separation would be the worst possible outcome."

"You never quit, do you? An old man like me just can't keep up with a brat like you." Shanan remarked sarcastically.

"You're not that old. Or, well you kind of are but it's no big deal. I can overlook your faults." Patty continued grinning while Shanan grumbled to himself for a moment before reaching up and dragging her down on top of him.

"Care to prove that?" he whispered huskily into her ear, the desired red peppering her cheeks.

"But… your shirt's off… we really shouldn't share a, eh, a bed." she stuttered out nervously as Shanan flung her hat haphazardly against one of the walls before twisting himself on top of her.

"We won't go too far." he assured before kissing her again, "Not tonight anyway."

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Despite his boldness the night before, Shanan groaned at his behaviour that morning, privately cursing whatever had compelled him to do something so stupid.

To make matters worse, Patty had scampered at some point before he woke up, slipping out of his grasp and through the door while he was still sound asleep, so he had no idea how she felt about what they'd done.

Still, the night couldn't be considered a total failure… he was certainly happier than he'd been before it.

Smiling ruefully and shaking his head at the thought of the brash thief who kept throwing him off-balance, Shanan turned to examine the ring on his drawer that he'd forgotten to give to her.

Maybe someday she'd accept the ruby, the ring and all that entailed… but not today.

Those words repeated in his head for a moment before his eyes widened and he let out a choked sound from his throat.

"_The ring had a sapphire embedded in it. What could have… that nosy girl!"_

His suspicions were confirmed when he noticed the blond hairs binding the ruby in its place and the scrap of paper at its side.

He picked up the paper hesitantly, like it might bite him, his eyes scanning it carefully to ensure nothing was missed in her chaotic cursive.

The message read (as far as Shanan could tell) "With this exchange of rings, we seal our love. You're mine in body, soul and law now, honey!"

Picking up the ring with his free hand, Shanan gave it one last examining look before slipping it onto his ring finger. The tiny stone was barely noticeable in its structure but it still drew the eye well enough if you were looking for it.

Shanan began to dress himself with a cheek-splitting smile on his face and just two thoughts in his mind.

"_Where will this little game finally end for Patty and me?"_ and _"I wonder where she stole the jewel from?"_

**Originally, this story had a decidedly different slant and was going to be much shorter. Those things didn't happen for reasons. Reasons like the story deciding it wasn't finished and making me write a thousand extra words, for example.**

**Also, I know Patty and Shanan seem a little odd here but I'm mostly taking it from their first conversation (where Shanan receives the Balmunc) and interpreting the final conversation in light of that one rather than the other way around. That means Shanan is more exasperated by Patty than outright aggressive towards her, only snapping when pushed into an emotionally charged situation (like realising your girlfriend has sheathed her sword to carry around food with both arms, something which might get her killed if done without forethought).**

**Also, I have a hard time believing Patty would just give up on whatever relationship she's in completely. Conversely the thought of her sacrificing her inheritance seems wrong as well. She's kind of a hoarder, and I doubt either her birth-rights or her lovers would be exceptions to that attitude. So, she went for a middle-ground approach here… which Shanan would probably be fine with, at least at first. It's better than being dumped sometimes.**

**P.S. Sad Patty was a once-off character. Enjoy it while it lasts because that girl is sunnier than a desert in summertime… meaning she's very cheerful, even when she shouldn't be.**


	5. Skasaher, Delmud and Lester

**Author's Notes: A short, insubstantial ending here because Skasaher, Delmud and Lester all have similar personalities unless you start going unusually deeper into their actions (to the point of exaggeration at times). As a result, I've decided to try and differentiate the three from one another based on what little I have to go on. I'll give my reasons why each character is the way they are at the end of the story and welcome any debate on the characters featured.**

Skasaher sighed as a twinge of jealousy pulled at his lonely heart, his gaze settling on a familiar sight nearby.

A calmly smiling Delmud sitting on a nearby stool, a mug of liquor in his hand and a trio of young women surrounding him, cooing over the Agustrian Free Knight while he played cool.

The old bar had filled up with people anxious to celebrate the fall of the possessed Emperor Yurius and rub up against the newly anointed heroes of the Liberation Army. They were a curiosity for the moment and there was a genuine feeling of gratitude from the populace, so it was to be expected.

His axe swinging brother-in-law certainly loved the attention, standing atop a table and telling an embellished version of his (surprisingly real) slaying of three dragon knights simultaneously while swaying back and forth from the effects of the ale. Lakche occasionally pulled at the Great Knight's leggings to throw in her own violet prose, the red hue on her face probably having something to do with the worrying number of empty cups sitting on the table next to her.

Even Johan had managed to draw a decent crowd to himself and yet every woman who came anywhere near Skasaher was seemingly pulled by some invisible force towards Delmud. Closing his eyes and taking a long swig, Skasaher turned back to glare at Delmud and the four beauties surrounding him… wait, four?

Cursing, Skasaher quickly called for another drink and sighed, his hand subconsciously reaching to grip his sword hilt, only to find thin air. A pity, that usually helped Skasaher think.

"Asshole at it again?" Lester asked as he took a seat next to Skasaher, his ever-present grin flashing as wide as ever as he took in Delmud's appearance, "How does he do that?"

Skasaher snorted at the playful tone and shrugged, "Luck?"

Lester pretended to take his eyes off Skasaher and look around, a sinister grin crossing his features as Skasaher turned away from him. Seeing his chance, the taller boy pounced, wrapping an arm around Skasaher's neck and rubbing his knuckles rapidly through the Hero's black locks.

"Hey, what the-?" Skasaher tried to protest, struggling against Lester like they had when they were small children.

"_Of course,"_ Skasaher mused, _"Lester never got too far past that point. He even tried picking on Lakche when he had a crush on her last year."_ That thought actually managed to lift his mood as he recalled the archer pinned to the floor with a sword to his throat while Lakche screamed bloody murder.

"Lightening up?" Lester asked after catching a glimpse of Skasaher's grin, unfortunately for Lester that caused him to loosen his grip enough for Skasaher to slip free and pin the blue haired boy's arm behind his back.

Skasaher soon had Lester helplessly stuck over the wooden bar counter, grinning in spite of himself and the strange looks he was getting from the woman serving the alcohol.

"Definitely."

"You need some help?" Delmud shouted over at him, leaning past one of the women cuddling against his neck with a sadistic smirk that Lester knew all too well. He was pretty sure his life just flashed before his eyes at the ominous sight.

"Nah, I got him." Skasaher brushed the offer off.

Delmud shrugged before turning his attention back to the girls around him with a more pleasant smile.

"Phew." Lester sighed with relief, one blade-wielder was more than his heart could take (as an old flame had proven when she decided to let her Hero Sword turn him down rather than just say it); the thought of two of them teaming up was naturally one of his greatest fears.

"Can I let you up now or do you need more time to think about what you've done?" Skasaher said as if he were speaking to an unruly child, a fact not lost on Lester.

It didn't bother him but he noticed.

"No, I'll be a good boy if you give me my arm back. Promise." Lester widened the curve of his lips slightly in a feigned show of joy, all the while feigning a childish lisp.

"Eh, good enough." Skasaher said dismissively as he dropped back onto his splintering wooden stool and signalled for another pint of ale.

Rubbing his arm sulkily, Lester pouted for a moment before grinning at his long-time friend.

"Say, I know what will cheer you up."

"Don't." Skasaher said flatly, "I don't want to see her again tonight and I doubt she wants to see me right now either."

"Aw, come on… did you and Miss Yuria have a little tiff?" Lester teased, looking very much like his cousin as he did so with their eerily similar grins.

Skasaher simply buried his face in his arms and grumbled out an answer.

"Didn't catch that."

Another groan and muttered explanation.

"Still nothing." Lester responded, poking at Skasaher's head with his index finger, "You gotta speak up."

"I told her." Skasaher finally managed to say as he raised his head slightly to meet his friend's shocked expression.

"Whoa. I… take it things didn't go well." Lester said solemnly, patting the swordsman's back sympathetically.

"She was so sweet when she turned me down… I'm such an idiot."

"No," the bowman tried to assuage his pain but was quickly cut off.

"It's like I could never make any progress with her at all," Skasaher remarked while staring wistfully into his mug, "It always felt we were stuck in the same place, no matter how much better we became as friends. Like I never had a chance with her."

"Maybe you didn't." Lester answered without thinking, quickly scooting slightly away from Skasaher when a pair of dark blue eyes tried to burn a hole through his skull. "Sorry, you were always pretty smart, so I thought hopeless might make you feel a bit better about the whole thing. Worked with your sister."

"Not helping," the Dozellian Duke said mournfully as he remembered his place amongst Odo's descendants.

The uninteresting third wheel, neither as graceful as his sister nor as powerful as the Balmunc wielding Shanan. He'd been forced to spend years building muscle on top of muscle just to try and keep up. He'd even had to switch to heavier Blades just to give him enough of an edge to avoid being a burden to the Liberation Army.

That inferiority had made him cautious in life, teaching him there would always be someone better than him and that he needed to be smart if he wanted to survive. To never take unnecessary risks, to calculate everything possible down to the finest detail… so why the hell had he confessed to Yuria without any idea of how she felt about him. No, he had had a fairly good idea of how she felt about him, he just didn't want to accept it.

"Hey, come back to us." Lester said, shaking Skasaher with a noticeably strained grin, "You're scaring me here."

"Sorry." Skasaher cracked his usual sardonic smile and added "I really have a bad sense of timing, huh?"

"Eh, she doesn't know what she's missing." Lester assured with a serious expression he thought he'd be able to retire after the war, "Now shut up and drink, you're ruining my night."

"Always so comforting." Skasaher muttered.

Nonetheless, he found himself quirking a slight smile and doing as he was told, catching Lester's eye as they both gripped the worn handles of their tankards.

The two knocked their old metal mugs off each other and slung back the brown liquid with aplomb, both gasping contentedly after dropping their mugs back to the counter.

A comfortable silence settled between the two as they sat back to watch their more inebriated colleagues fall over themselves.

This continued until Delmud took a place next to them, his light armour scratching softly against itself whenever he moved.

He stretched himself out, lounging in the corner of Skasaher's vision before grabbing a tankard of ale from a passing wench. The young woman turned to scold him but he just raised the container in a salute and a wolfish grin before she took off with a blush on her face.

"Works every time." Delmud said smoothly as his face relaxed, breaking the veil of silence.

"Yeah." Skasaher muttered, as he attempted to down the remainder of his drink in one gulp.

"This could be the last week we drink together." Lester said out of the blue after another lapse of silence, "Strange, isn't it?"

Contemplation overtook the three as they considered what would happen next.

"The Duke of Dozel."

"An Agustrian Knight."

"Leader of Jungby's Beige Ritter."

The three were absentminded as they named off their new positions, the three blinking a few times before shrugging in unison and abandoning the concept.

"You know, I heard some Heroes can use axes." Delmud said, looking pointedly at Skasaher whose brow furrowed in confusion.

"Where did you hear that? Isaacian Heroes are pretty common and none of them uses axes."

"Thracia apparently has a few as well." Lester piped in, "You were talking to Leaf weren't you?"

Delmud nodded and the three chattered and drank into the night, eventually being thrown out for distracting service wenches and waking up the next morning on the side of a street with splitting headaches.

They spent most nights that week in a similar state, as did most of the less busy members of their army. Skasaher supposed that it was an uninteresting but fun way to say goodbye for the three friends. Not like they had much better to do.

**Author's Notes: Well, that meandered. I honestly didn't know what to do once I was about halfway through and the characters seemed happy to just sit around drinking and talking about nothing.**

**The Yuria thing is literally just expansion, plus I like to manipulate the game mechanics in. Call it a nod to fanon where Skasaher seems to be Yuria's number two choice in a man (after her brother).**

**As for the Tirnanogue Trio themselves, I went through every line of dialogue for these guys (which really didn't add up to much) and decided to pull out every little trait I could spot to make the three distinctive. Note that all three are protective and caring of those they love, so that can be thrown out of this discussion right off the bat.**

**Delmud had the least to say and nothing particularly distinctive, so I made him a ladies man. I'm working on the assumption that Beowulf (who Delmud resembles somewhat even if his father were, say, Fin) was kind of roguish and handsome and just transferring that trait onto his spiritual successor. Since he refused to display anything interesting, I decided to let someone else do it for him.**

**Lester actually gets conversations with Patty (if they're lovers) which reveals that he teases the girls he likes. So he gets to be the playful one of the trio, knowing how to be serious but choosing not to unless it was necessary. I thought it sounded like a believable way to deal with the stress of spending the first umpteen years of your life with the most powerful empire in the world wanting you dead, just trying your best to take it easy.**

**Skasaher's personality was derived from his lines in Chapter 6 where he is more cautious than Celice and the others (especially Lakche) and the fact that his stats are inferior to his relatives if Shanan has the Balmunc. So, if Lakche's eagerness to go to battle is probably tied to the fact that the woman is a veritable whirlwind of death, Skasaher's hesitance could be tied to his (relatively) weaker stats. He's physically stronger and bulkier but not nearly as skilful (which is fatal when dealing with Odo's Shooting Star Sword). In my mind, that would make him more of a strategist by sheer necessity, considering how competitive everyone in his immediate family seems to be (father here= Lex). The axe thing is just a nod to FE5 where Heroes first got access to axes, which would be a huge buff to Skasaher, who gets a weapon triangle advantage over lance wielders to compensate for being weaker than Lakche.**

**Feel free to debate my interpretations; I doubt it will be hard considering how vague these three are.**


End file.
